A History of Women's Wrestling in America

Although it was often presented as a sideshow or a novelty act in the past, the history of women's professional wrestling in the United States is as long, dramatic, and fascinating as the history of American wrestling as a whole. From carnival challenges to main event status, the journey of American women wrestlers reflects broader cultural shifts in sports entertainment and gender roles.

The Carnivals and the Rise of Mildred Burke (1930s-1950s)

Women’s wrestling's earliest roots in America are found in carnival challenge matches and vaudeville acts. Mildred Burke began her career in 1935 wrestling men at carnivals, and none of them were able to pin her. When Burke began wrestling women in promotions, they didn't fare any better, as she defeated many opponents in promotions that included Eastern States Championship Wrestling (promoted by Jim Crockett Sr.- this was the original name of what is best known as Jim Crockett Promotions/WCW) and the AWA, as well as the Mexico-based Empresa Mexicana De La Lucha Libre, which is known today as CMLL.

Mildred Burke won the original Women's World Championship in 1937, and remained champion for two decades. The championship became the WWWA World Championship in the 1950's when she founded the Los Angeles based- World Women's Wrestling Association. In 1970, the very successful Japan-based AJW acquired the rights to the championship, positioning it as the company's top singles championship. This makes Mildred Burke not only significant part of the history of women's wrestling in America, but in Japan as well.

Speaking of Japan, in November 1954, Mildred Burke, other American wrestlers, and Japanese wrestlers got involved with World Ladies Pro Wrestling, which presented events in the Kanto and Kansai regions of Japan. World Ladies Pro Wrestling made one of its biggest impacts at Kuramae Kokugikan in Tokyo, where one of their events drew 15,000 fans.



The NWA Era: Glamour and Gimmicks (1950s-1980s)

In 1948, the NWA was formed, acting in the role of a governing body for regional wrestling promotions, and Mildred Burke began wrestling in promotions that were members of the NWA. In the 1950s, NWA promotions began utilizing women wrestlers more frequently, defining it by glamour and spectacle, though often still treating it as a supporting act. Nonetheless, at a November 1959 event at Charlotte Coliseum, NWA member Jim Crockett Promotions (JCP) had a card that included a match between Ethel Johnson and Marva Scott, two important figures in wrestling history who were appearing in North Carolina for the first time in their careers. Sisters, Johnson and Scott were two of the first African-American women to become professional wrestlers (preceded only by their sister Babs Wingo), during a time when segregation still existed in the United States.

The Fabulous Moolah became prominent during this era, winning the NWA World Women's Championship and holding it for 3,651 days, becoming the longest-reigning NWA World Women's Champion in history. In addition, she won the championship three more times, making her the holder of the NWA World Women's Championship more times than any other wrestler.

Some of The Moolah's most notable challengers during her NWA World Women's Championship reigns included Sherri Martel, Wendi Richter, and Leilani Kai



WWE Reaches Its First Peak of Popularity (1980s)

In the 1980s, WWE reached its first peak of popularity, and television was becoming more popular as well, which caused a remarkable change in American women's wrestling via WWE broadcasts. With television, women's wrestling matches could be seen by millions of people around the world. The July 1984 match at "The Brawl to End It All" event between Women's Champion The Fabulous Moolah and Wendi Richter was the WWE women's wrestling match with the largest worldwide audience in that decade. Richter was accompanied by pop star Cyndi Lauper as a part of the "Rock 'n' Wrestling Connection", the company's marketing experience that fused WWE with popular music and mainstream culture, particularly MTV, to create a wider audience for professional wrestling. Broadcast on MTV, The Brawl to End It All was the network's most watched program in history at that point, and brought WWE unprecedented mainstream attention.






GLOW Focuses Fully on Women (Mid 1980s-Early 1990s)

Created by David McLane, GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies Of Wrestling) made its debut in 1985, and the hugely popular, character-driven syndicated show demonstrated the marketability and entertainment value of an all-female promotion. Each episode featured wrestlers who were likable regardless of whether they were face or heel. There was someone for everyone, with each character having their own unique personality.

WWE Refocuses on Women's Wrestling (Early 1990s-1995)

With the WWE Women's Championship deactivated since 1990, the women's wrestling division was renewed in 1993 and Alundra Blayze was crowned the champion after winning a tournament for the vacant Women's Championship. She successfully defended it in matches with Luna Vachon, Leilani Kai, Heidi Lee Morgan, and Bull Nakano, but was eventually defeated by Nakano. With her victory, Nakano became the first Japanese woman wrestler to hold a WWE singles championship. The match occurred in November 1994 at an event presented by AJW in Japan.

Alundra Blayze regained the WWE Women's Championship from Bull Nakano in April 1995, lost it to Bertha Faye in August, and then defeated Faye for the championship in October. However, Blayze was released from the company in December, and appeared in WCW five days later on an episode of "WCW Monday Nitro", where she cut a promo and dropped the belt into a trash can.





WCW Starts Women's Wrestling Divisions (1996-1998)

WCW began its women's wrestling division in 1996. A tournament was held to crown the first WCW World Women's Champion, which was won by Akira Hokuto. She was never defeated for the championship, making her the only WCW World Women's Champion in history.

In 1997, the WCW World Women's Cruiserweight Championship was created, which was won by Toshie Uematsu in a tournament. There were a total of three holders of the championship before it was deactivated, with the other two being Sugar Sato and Yoshiko Tamura.

Along with Akira Hokuto and the women who held the WCW World Women's Cruiserweight Championship, there were many other joshi (Japanese female wrestler) talents who were introduced to the WCW audience in the 1990s, including Meiko Satomura, Bull Nakano, Chigusa Nagayo as, "Zero"), and KAORU.

The greatly talented @kaoru2hearts wrestled the last match of her 36-year career yesterday. KAORU's accomplishments in Japan are well known, but it should also be noted that she was one of the joshi talents introduced to the US audience in the 1990s, via WCW in 1996. pic.twitter.com/WvtvxHyMMy

— Harold Williams (@HWilliams13) August 9, 2022

Additionally, Luna Vachon made a surprise debut by sneak attacking Madusa live on "WCW Monday Nitro" during an interview segment, to generate excitement and establish Vachon as a threat in WCW's women's division. Also, she was interviewed a number of times on WCW-TV after this segment, to help push her feud with Madusa.






Despite presenting a women's division that featured familiar faces and international talent, it was overshadowed by the men's division. In fact, there was a lack of consistent focus on women's wrestling in both WCW and WWE during this period, due to it still not being a main focus for most fans. If women's wrestling was on the TV, many fans changed the channel to see what the competition was doing. If they were in attendance at a venue, that was when they would leave their seat to buy beer and hot dogs or check out the merchandise that was on sale. Giving their audiences what they seemed to want, women's wrestling was not a major focus for WWE and WCW.



WWE's Attitude/Ruthless Agression Era Women, and the The WOW Alternative (1998-2007)

After the WWE Women's Championship had been vacant since late 1995, it was officially reactivated in September 1998, with Jacqueline becoming the first champion of WWE's Attitude Era, as well the first African-American wrestler in history to hold the championship. She held the WWE Women's Championship on two separate occasions during this era.

The most noteworthy women that she defended it against during her reigns include Lita, Ivory, and Luna Vachon.

That same year, David McLane, still remembered for his previous work with GLOW, created WOW - Women Of Wrestling in 2000. His vision was clear: to present an all-female wrestling product that emphasized athleticism and larger-than-life characters, while aiming for a family-friendly audience. WOW was the only wrestling company on syndicated television that was putting its female athletes front and center, allowing them to be the sole focus of the action.

A standout member of the WOW roster during the promotion's beginnings was Selina Majors. She is a two-time former NWA World Women's Champion, and this success, along with Majors' extensive career in professional wrestling, was an asset to WOW, adding credibility to the promotion and establishing it as a valuable platform for women's wrestling.



One of the people who WOW piqued the interest of was Jeanie Buss (who later became owner of the Los Angeles Lakers), who was invited to a show by David McLane, and eventually even joined McLane at the commentary table for a WOW event.

WOW went on hiatus in 2001 as a result of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, which created a chain reaction never before seen across the media and entertainment sectors, as the economic repercussions and the TV industry's immediate focus on news and more established programming made it challenging for a new wrestling company to secure the necessary backing and audience. Even so, Jeanie Buss' passion for an all-women's wrestling promotion on national television not decreasing, she continued to support its concept, believing that it was evidence that women could make a living as entertainers and professional athletes.

In 2002, WWE's Attitude Era was in its final year, and along with Lita, Jacqueline, and Ivory still a prominent of WWE's women's division, Trish Stratus was also an established member of the roster, having had won the WWE Women's Championship in 2000, and two more times in 2002.

Victoria made her debut on WWE-TV September 2002 as a part of the company's Ruthless Aggression era after honing her skills in the Kentucky-based Ohio Valley Wrestling, the California-based Ultimate Pro Wrestling, the Ohio-based Heartland Wrestling Association, the Memphis-based Power Pro Wrestling, and Memphis Championship Wrestling, promotions that were being used by WWE in a developmental capacity. She won her first WWE Women's Championship only two months later in a hard-fought, "Hardcore" match with Trish Stratus, which was the first-ever hardcore-style match for the championship.





TNA Grows Its Knockouts Division Significantly (2007-2010)

While WWE was having slow but steady upward trajectory toward its current level of focus on women's wrestling, TNA was highlighting women's wrestling, establishing its formal Knockouts division in 2007 and a Women's Knockout Championship a year later. Consistently showcased on TV and pay-per-view, Knockouts including Gail Kim, Tara, and Awesome Kong were spotlighted for their athletic ability. For example, Gail King vs. Awesome Kong at Final Resolution 2008 was widely praised, being considered a match that added credibility to the TNA Knockouts Division and demonstrated the potential of women's wrestling.





The Women's Revolution (2010s-Present)

In the 2010s, the sports entertainment industry began to evolve, and women's wrestling began to increase in popularity and demand, as audiences were enthused like never before about its athleticism, with the matches often either being in the main event or the match that fans are talking about the next day. Women wrestlers began taking center stage, and television networks eventually started taking notice, actively seeking engaging female-focused content to captivate their viewers. With women's wrestling having a diverse fanbase, the networks recognized the huge potential.

WWE's Influence: The Women's Revolution in WWE began on Monday Night RAW on July 13, 2015, with the main roster debuts of Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch, marking a transition from the Divas era that began in 2008 to the Superstar era for the women's division, with an increased focus on athletic competition. As a result of a fan-led movement demanding better women's wrestling, this was a commitment from Stephanie McMahon to change the landscape of the division.



Asuka was an essential key component of the Women's Revolution by serving as a new benchmark for in-ring excellence and international representation, immediately injecting an unmatched level of technical skill and submission mastery when she moved to the main roster in 2017. Asuka began a 914-day undefeated streak in NXT that carried over to the main roster. Furthermore, winning the inaugural Women's Royal Rumble match and becoming a Women's Grand Slam Champion proved her value in WWE. Asuka has displayed a superior style of wrestling that earned respect, all of which paved the way for more international female talent in WWE, such as IYO SKY and Kairi Sane.

Natalya's role in the WWE Women's Revolution was foundational and pivotal, bridging the gap between the Divas era and the more athletically-focused women's division. She has over two decades of experience in the pro-wrestling industry. Natalya's career has spanned continents, from Stampede Wrestling in Canada, to AtoZ in Japan, culminating in her 18-year tenure with WWE, where Natalya is a two-time women's world champion and has also been a tag team champion. When WWE has needed someone to work with newer female talent on the main roster or in NXT, Natalya has been the wrestler WWE turns to, since long before the Revolution was officially named. Her serious, technical style helped set a higher standard for in-ring performance. Furthermore, as a veteran presence and respected locker room leader, Natalya has been instrumental in mentoring younger talent and has been a part of many firsts for women in WWE, including the first women's match in Saudi Arabia and the initial all-women's WWE Evolution event, solidifying her as a central figure in the division's transformation.

Matches between Asuka and Natalya have often been characterized by a stiff, hard-hitting, and technical style. Their February 2020 match gained attention for its intensity.



The Modern Re-Emergence of WOW: With the wrestling industry more receptive to female-led content and Jeanie Buss still believing in WOW, she and David McLane relaunched it in 2016. Leveraging social media, WOW shows were produced for Facebook originally, and later for YouTube. WOW utilized the late-1980s/early-1990s style of having a big focus on distinct characters while remaining relevant in the current wrestling scene, presenting its colorful roster of athletic Superheroes with distinct personas and backstories.



There were a number of wrestlers who were at the forefront of popularity during this era of WOW, one of them being Jungle Grrrl. With her athletic and high-flying style, Jungle Grrrl became the longest-reigning WOW Champion in history.



WOW quickly built a loyal following, and that, combined with the company's renewed commitment, was a signal that a strong return to national television was in WOW's near future, which happened in 2019, via AXS TV. This was the beginning of WOW's modern era, featuring an upgrade in production values, a new generation of female athletes, and a continued focus on blending in-ring action with character development.

In 2021, Women Of Women achieved its best distribution deal yet, forming a partnership with Paramount Global Content Distribution, resulting in WOW airing in national broadcast television syndication beginning in 2022. WOW's product moving to broadcast television nationally outstandingly expanded WOW's reach, attracting a viewership of over 300,000 via syndication without having a prime-time cable slot. WOW presented its unique blend of athleticism and performance, and WOW's viewership numbers suggested that it has a loyal audience and broad appeal that allows it to succeed across various local stations and time slots. It solidified WOW's position as a prominent player in the modern wrestling scene, demonstrating the growing demand for diverse, high-quality women's sports content, and increasing its potential for greater mainstream recognition.

WOW demonstrates how the modern era is partly defined by the success of alternative platforms. In WOW's case specifically, its situation is unique, as streaming platforms are a key part of its strategy for reaching a wider audience. While WOW's core distribution remains television syndication, Pluto TV is available in the Americas & Europe, and Wrestling Central is available in North America- these streaming platforms ensure WOW's content is accessible to viewers in these areas who have moved away from traditional television (which is a continuously expanding audience of tens of millions in the US and millions more in Europe). This multi-platform approach is essential for a promotion that doesn't rely on live event ticket sales, as it maximizes viewership and supports other revenue streams like advertising and merchandise.

With WOW hitting the jackpot by securing season 4 and its groundbreaking Las Vegas residency, along with adding six new Superheroes to its roster, the company is continuing to seize opportunities to showcase its talent.





The history of women's wrestling is a result of the persistence and talent of countless athletes who earned respect and their place in the spotlight, forever changing the face of American professional wrestling.